The  Golden  Hour 
in  West  China 


WHERE  EAST  IS  WEST 
AND  WEST  IS  EAST 


By  John  L.  Dearing,  D.  D. 


American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society 

Boston,  Massachusetts,  U.  S.  A. 


PRICE.  THREE  CENTS 


Rapids  on  the  Yang:ts< 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR 
IN  WEST  CHINA 

SHUT  in  on  all  sides  by  almost  impenetrable  moun- 
tains, in  the  very  heart  of  Asia,  lies  a wonderful 
land,  but  little  known  to  the  outside  world.  On  its 
western  border  lie  the  snow-capped  mountains  of  Tibet. 
( )n  its  east  side  are  piled  range  on  range  of  mountains 
which  separate  it  from  the  rest  of  China.  Almost  its 
only  outlet  to  the  rest  of  the  world  lies  in  the  wonderful 
waterway  of  the  Yangtse,  which  by  the  persistent  effort 
of  ages  has  worn  for  itself  a tortuous  channel  through 
magnificent  gorges  many  miles  in  length  and  over  raging 
rapids  which  seem  almost  to  baffle  the  ingenuity  of  man 
to  conquer.  By  the  aid  of  hundreds  of  coolies,  and  after 
long  days  and  weeks  of  dangerous  travel,  one  at  length 
finds  himself  in  this  novel  country  where  the  people  live  a 
life  which  seems  to  take  him  back  hundreds  of  years  in  the 
history  of  man,  and  yet  where  the  opportunities  for  doing 
things  oppress  with  their  abundance.  This  land  is  known 
by  the  prosaic  name  of  West  China,  but  this  is  mislead- 
ing, for  the  mountains  so  separate  it  from  China  that 
it  is  practically  another  land.  We  find  here  a territory  as 
large  as  France  with  a population  larger.  The  natural 
resources  have  made  it  already  the  richest  province  of 
China,  and  yet  these  are  scarcely  touched.  A coal  mine 
in  one’s  back  yard  is  a common  experience.  Mineral 
wealth  and  agricultural  possibilities  astonish  the  man 
looking  for  financial  prospects.  The  great  Chengtu  plain, 
in  the  center  of  this  territory,  is  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able localities  in  the  world.  About  forty  by  ninety  miles 
in  extent,  with  an  artificial  system  of  irrigation  dating 
back  to  before  the  time  of  Christ,  with  numerous  walled 
cities  and  well-cultivated  fields,  it  is  said  to  be  the  most 
highly  productive  and  thickly  populated  piece  of  land  in 
the  world. 

The  peoples  of  this  district  are  unlike  those  met  else- 
where. In  the  eastern  part  they  seem  to  be  largely  of 

3 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 


Chinese  origin,  having  come  from  the  various  provinces 
of  China  after  the  great  wars  of  the  early  centuries,  when 
the  original  inhabitants  were  practically  annihilated.  Un- 
like the  other  provinces  of  China  no  one  claims  to  be  a 
native  of  this  province.  All  are  immigrants  from  other 
provinces.  These  peoples  have  mingled 
with  the  wild  tribes  on  the  western 
borders  and  have  produced  a virile, 
sturdy,  restless  people,  quite  unlike  the 
Chinese  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 
To  the  far  west  the  population  is 
made  up  largely  of  the  various  wild 
tribes,  speaking  dilTerent  languages, 
with  different  customs  and  habits,  fierce 
and  warlike  in  some  parts,  yet  strangely 
open  to  Christian  influences.  Some  of 
the  tribes  numbering  500,000  and  more 
are  yet  waiting  among  these  mountains 
to  hear  the  first  word  of  Christ’s  teach- 
ings. It  would  be  hard  to  find  any- 
where in  the  world  people  more  free 
from  the  influences  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion or  from  touch  with  the  Western 
world.  There  is  unusual  natural  capa- 
city for  the  development  of  strong 
Christian  character,  however,  among 
both  the  Chinese  and  the  wild  tribes. 
The  latter  seem  in  a providential  man- 
ner to  have  been  isolated  thus  far 
from  all  Western  influences,  so  that  the 
gospel  messenger  might  have  the  first 
chance  to  give  them  the  message  of  life 
before  their  minds  became  distracted 
with  other  features  of  Western  civilization.  As  one 
notes  the  strenuous  efforts  of  the  French  to  pierce 
through  the  mountains  from  the  South  with  their  rail- 
road, and  of  the  merchant  from  the  East  to  blast  a chan- 
nel up  the  Yangtse  so  that  his  steamers  may  navigate 
safely  and  rapidly  this  waterway  and  tap  the  rich  re- 

4 


A Salt  Well 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 


sources  of  the  West,  and  as  one  further  observes 
how  the  Chinese  themselves  are  boring  from  the  east 
through  the  mountains  to  thread  a railroad  into  the  prov- 
ince that  they,  too,  may  exploit  the  land,  one  realizes 
that  the  marvelous  opportunity  to  win  a land  for  Christ 
is  rapidly  passing. 

Note  'further  some  of  the  conditions  which  cause 
this  province  to  present  so  powerful  an  appeal  to  Baptists 


A Suspension  Bridge 


just  now  to  enter  in  and  win  it  for  Christ.  As  com- 
pared with  other  nations  or  other  parts  of  China  the 
people  are  remarkably  approachable,  and  welcome  the 
gospel.  They  seem  to  be  without  prejudice  against  the 
foreigner  and  his  teaching.  They  have  not  been  as  yet 
distracted  by  commerce  or  other  objects  for  which  the 
foreigner  often  visits  China.  They  have  met  only  a 
few  Christian  missionaries  and  have  formed  their  opin- 
ion of  foreign  peoples  from  them.  The  result  has  been 
a very  different  attitude  than  maintains  almost  every- 

5 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 

where  else.  Ihis  condilion  cannot,  however,  last  long. 
The  message  that  the  foreigner  now  brings  is  novel  and 
greatly  attracts  the  people.  They  think  with  wonder 
of  the  outside  world,  and  this  very  best  gift  of  the  out' 
side  world  comes  with  freshness  and  appreciated  value. 
Wherever  the  story  of  Christ  is  told  to-day  it  draws  the 
people  as  it  might  have  drawn  them  in  other  parts  of 
the  world  centuries  ago.  Many  are  ready  to  believe 
with  simple  faith.  Such  an  attitude  cannot  long  re- 
main, in  the  face  of  the  new  influences  coming  in  to 
draw  the  mind  to  other  things. 

A splendid  work  has  already  been  begun.  Profiting 
by  the  mistakes  in  mission  work  in  the  past,  the  early 
missionaries  to  this  province  builded  better  than  they 
knew.  They  have  laid  solid  foundations  for  a line 
educational  system  on  which  those  who  follow  may 
build.  The  West  China  Union  University,  which  is  a 
model  in  its  plans,  and  which  should  stand  for  many 
years  at  the  head  of  the  entire  educational  system  of  the 
province,  has  already  been  opened  at  Chengtu.  A union 
system  of  schools  makes  possible  a wide-spread  unity 
and  uniformity  of  Christian  education  such  as  is  to  be 
found  nowhere  else  in  the  mission  field.  Four  missions, 
including  the  Baptist,  have  a single  superintendent  for 
all  their  schools.  In  a land  like  this,  where  the  govern- 
ment educational  scheme  has  practically  been  valueless,  it 
is  possible  for  the  educational  missionary  who  thinks  in 
terms  of  Christianity  and  not  in  terms  of  denomination 
to  establish  a system  of  education  that  shall  supply 
Christian  teachers  for  the  schools,  and,  through  the  youth 
of  the  land,  build  up  a Christian  nation  here  in  the 
heart  of  China.  Christian  men  who  can  teach,  well 
versed  in  Christian  pedagogy,  and  capable  of  serving 
as  superintendents  of  education  on  broad  constructive 
lines,  may  find  a scope  for  service  which  will  make  the 
ordinary  opportunity  of  an  educationalist  in  America  ap- 
pear small  and  trifling.  The  very  best  men  that  our  uni- 
versities can  furnish  may  find  a task  which  will  try 
their  metal  in  measuring  up  against  these  openings. 

6 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 


111  evangelistic  work  also  a commendable  beginning 
has  been  made,  but  the  home  churches  have  failed  to 
appreciate  the  extent  of  the  province,  the  magnitude  of 
the  undertaking,  or  the  demands  of  the  hour.  This  land 
is  so  far  from  the  well-known  parts  of  China  that  it 
has  been  thought  of  only  as  a small  part  of  China,  in- 
stead of  as  a great  nation  making  its  demands  upon  us 
for  the  gospel. 

.Strategic  points 
have  been  occu- 
p i e d.  .Stations 
liave  been  opened 
in  great  centers. 

'The  territory  has 
b e e n carefully 
studied  1)  e fore 
entering,  and  the 
interrelation  o f 
work  has  been 
considered  in  a 
scientific  a n d 
broad  way.  As 
a result,  the  re- 
sponsibility for 
the  territory  has 
been  finely  divi- 
ded among  the 
dififerent  denom- 
inations, so  that 
there  is  no  dupli- 
cation and  each  has  a large  and  definite  responsibility 
for  certain  districts. 

The  burden  thus  falling  upon  Baptists  and  clearly 
recognized  is  oppressively  great.  Our  missionaries 
have  been  wisely  located  in  the  capital,  Chengtu, 
where,  together  with  others,  they  are  sharing  in  the 
Union  University  enterprise  and  are  preparing  to  enter 
upon  evangelistic  work  in  a most  needy  and  im- 
portant section  of  the  great  capital.  Four  days  to  the 

7 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 


west,  at  Yachowfu,  Baptist  workers  are  the  only 
ones  who  occupy  this  border  city,  on  the  direct  road 
to  Tibet,  and  the  key  to  millions  of  people,  both  Chinese 
and  aborigines.  Fifteen  important  outstations,  of  from 
10,000  to  50,000  inhabitants  each,  have  been  opened  within 
reach  of  this  town,  while  four  days’  journey  over  the 
mountains  brings  one  into  the  midst  of  hundreds  of 


Bible  Class  at  Yachowfu 


thousands  of  people  who  are  waiting  in  darkness  for  the 
gospel,  and  upon  Baptists  rests  the  responsibility  to  give 
it  to  them.  This  is  indeed  an  outpost  of  medical  work. 
One  may  travel  south  to  Burma  without  finding  a Chris- 
tian doctor,  except  one  missionary  physician  at  Ning- 
yuanfu.  One  may  wander  west  through  Tibet,  and  on 
into  eastern  Asia,  before  medical  skill  is  found  to  relieve 
suffering.  And  if  one  goes  north,  one  can  scarcely  de- 

6 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WESTCHINA 


cide  where  in  Siberia  or  western  Russia  such  skill  may 
be  found.  Standing  in  the  doorway  of  the  mission  house 
at  Yachowfu  and  looking  west,  north  and  south,  one  is 
compelled  to  cry,  “Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?” 
What  wonder  that  Openshaw  and  his  faithful  wife,  alone 
in  the  midst  of  the  danger  of  revolution,  refused  to  leave 
these  people,  to  whom  he  stands,  in  a sense,  as  the  only 
Saviour  they  know? 

One  hundred  miles  to  the  southeast,  but  about  four 
days’  journey,  is  Kiatingfu,  which  is  shared  with  other 


Munroe  Academy,  Suifu 


missionaries,  but  the  eleven  outstations,  which  are  oc- 
cupied by  ourselves  alone,  represent,  as  do  most  of  the 
outstations  in  West  China,  from  ten  to  fifty  thousand 
people  each.  These  are  easily  reached  up  and  down  the 
river,  and  whenever  the  missionary  can  visit  them  he 
is  met  by  crowds  — all  work  is  dropped  and  attention 
is  given  to  the  most  important  thing,  his  message. 

Suifu,  which  was  the  first  mission  to  be  opened  by 
us  in  West  China,  and  which  is  now  the  third  city  in 
size  in  the  province,  is  surrounded  by  some  forty  towns 
which  have  been  opened  as  outstations  and  where  more 
or  less  work  is  being  done.  Many  of  them  have  chap- 
els, maintained  by  the  people  while  waiting  for  a mis- 

9 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 


sionary  to  come  and  help  them  use  them.  In  many  of 
these  towns  are  groups  of  native  Christians  who  have 
but  a glimmer  of  the  truth  and  sadly  need  teaching,  in 
order  to  become  strong  and  useful  Christians,  and  in 
turn  lead  others  to  Christ,  \yhat  can  they  do,  however, 
without  preachers,  with  a visit  from  a missionary  scarcely 
oftener  than  once  in  two  years  or  more?  The  openness 
of  mind  and  the  deep  desire  of  these  people  for  Chris- 
tian teachers  is  an  appeal  that  would  powerfully  move 
many  in  the  home  land  if  they  could  but  really  face  it. 

Twelve  days’  journey  through  the  mountains  from 


Hospital  atYacHowfu 


Yachowfu  brings  us  to  Ningyuanfu,  where  a station 
has  been  opened  and  where  Baptists  stand  all  alone  in 
the  midst  of  a vast  tract  of  country  inhabited  by  mil- 
lions of  people  still  without  God  and  without  hope. 

In  all  these  five  centers  we  have  a small  but  noble 
company  of  workers  who  are  bravely  doing  their  best. 
Each  one  is  trying  to  do  the  work  of  many,  however. 
The  openings  for  work, — the  demands  for  help,  rather, — 
have  compelled  them  to  open  a theological  school  in 
Yachow'fu,  a boys’  school  in  Kiatingfu,  an  academy  in 
Suifu,  girls’  schools  in  Kiatingfu  and  Suifu,  and  hospi- 
tals in  Yachowfu  and  Suifu.  There  is  a loud  call  for 
much  more.  A boys’  school  should  be  opened  in 

10 


THE  GOLDEN  HOUR  IN  WEST  CHINA 


Yachowfu.  A Bible  woman’s  school  is  greatly  needed, 
and  further  help  in  organizing  educational  work  in  the 
outstations  and  in  preaching  to  the  masses  the  simple 
gospel  for  which  they  wait.  What  is  needed  is  men  of 
strong  faith  and  strong  physique,  for  the  life  is  not  easy. 
Touring  in  the  outstations  is  not  characterized  by  luxury. 
The  demand  is  for  men  and  women  who  will  be  will- 
ing to  undertake  hard  things.  There  are  deprivations 
to  be  faced.  There  is  isolation  and  loneliness.  The 
missionar}'  is  far  removed  from  the  common  comforts 
of  life,  as  they  are  called.  The  daily  newspaper  is  un- 
known, but  he  reads  eagerly  a paper  from  Shanghai  a 
month  old.  Nevertheless,  many  substitutes  are  found 
for  things  which  in  the  outside  world  are  deemed  ne- 
cessities, and  there  are  wonderful  compensations  that  make 
this  work  especially  attractive  to  those  who  enter  upon 
it  at  the  Master’s  bidding.  Men  leave  this  field  with  the 
greatest  reluctance,  and  even  when  in  peril  from  revo- 
lution and  in  physical  danger,  they  withdraw  only  at 
the  bidding  of  the  consuls  and  with  the  greatest  unwill- 
ingness. These  are  things  hard  to  explain,  but  no  man, 
with  the  love  of  God  in  his  heart,  can  visit  this  wonder- 
ful country,  without  feeling  strongly  the  great  privi- 
lege which  is  given  to  some  to  labor  here,  and  he  is 
moved  with  envy  rather  than  pity  for  those  who  give 
their  life  to  this  service.  There  are  needed  men  and 
women,  first-class  teachers  and  educationalists,  men  with 
the  gift  to  make  plain  the  simple  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
and  to  teach  others  how  to  make  it  plain.  Men  with 
medical  knowledge  and  the  ability  to  teach  it  to  others 
are  also  needed,  who  will  teach  the  spirit  of  Jesus  at 
the  same  time  that  they  relieve  the  unspeakable  physi- 
cal suffering  which  is  so  wide-spread  through  this  por- 
tion of  the  world.  When  the  Master  lays  it  upon  the 
heart  of  one  of  his  servants  to  serve  him  in  this  outpost 
of  great  honor,  let  such  a one  beware  how  he  refuses 
to  obey.  May  the  churches,  too,  clearly  understand 
their  share  in  this  great  responsibility. 


978-3M-April  1912 


n 


Lolos  of  WcstcmiSzcHuan 


12 


